NHL Team Sues Rapper Over Tribute Song

Â An emcee from Raleigh, North Carolina has found himself in a federal lawsuit over a 2007 dedication song to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes are suing Tyrone Banks for trademark violations over the track “Carolina Hurricanes,” which the rapper promoted as “the official Carolina Hurricanes song.”

The Hurricanes did concede the rapper approached them first about promoting the selection during home games.

In court records, the team states they utilized the song during online, TV, and game segments.

Additionally, the Hurricanes brought Banks to a game where they displayed his name and flashed his face on the video screen when the song was played.

The legal issue arose when the Hurricanes accused Banks of promoting the song as if he were affiliated directly with the team.

Although Banks complied with the NHL team’s request to remove the words “official” and “anthem” from his website, the team argues the affiliation is still there through the use of Hurricane jerseys.

“We look at our name and our trademarks as our most valuable assets, and they need to be protected,” stated Hurricanes attorney William Traurig to Fox Sports.

According to court filings, Banks has countered with a request for song compensation, stating that his agreement with the Hurricanes authorized use of the track only for games when the team showed his label, full name, and the song’s title.

At press time, a verdict has not been reached in the case and Tyrone Banks could not be reached for comment.